How to be your family's tech support without going crazy

Chances are that if you're reading this, it's because you are the one that fixes everything in the house. Maybe your mother can't get the TV to turn on, or your roommate doesn't know how to unfreeze his computer, or someone you know is paying $60 a year for a virus which pretends to be an antivirus program. These facepalm moments are painful, and living with them is no easy task, even for the most patient, most kind-hearted individuals.

So how do you not rip out all your hair by the age of 30 because of these often ridiculous cries for help? I have several methods that will keep you from going mad.

1. Never fix. Teach. Ever heard about teaching a man to fish? The same holds true in the home. Not everyone can be as mind-bogglingly intelligent as you are, but that doesn't mean they can't figure out how to switch the batteries on the remote or reboot something. 95% of all tech support issues are simple, two-step fixes, and constantly going out of your way to fix those little things will reduce you to dust, destroy any ambition you may have had, and make you dead on the inside.
   
   The way to handle this is simple: don't ever fix anything. Make the person who needs help fix it on their own, with your guidance. That means take the time and actually work with them, like a teacher and student. If the TV isn't coming on, show them how those magical buttons on the remote work to fix it. If the computer won't shut down, show them how to hold down the power button for five seconds or to just unplug power. If need be, tell them to write it down, or even write it down for them.
   
2. Remember that you are the wizard. Part of being more knowledgeable about any subject than most people is actually knowing that you're smarter than most people. Besides giving you the basic comfort that you are in command, it will also help alleviate stress. Older people sometimes say they know things they really don't, or younger people pretend they understand something they clearly don't. But you aren't Nick Burns, and don't be (see 1). Interrupting know-it-alls can be easily shut down - and more importantly, kindly - when you clearly explain that they asked you for help, and you're taking time out of your day to give it to them.
   
3. When you aren't sure yourself, look up the answer with them. I'll admit, most of the time something needs to be done in my house, I know how to fix it. It's usually simple. But sometimes there isn't an easy answer. Sometimes I just don't know, but if I've learned anything, it's that the internet knows all. And I know how to find answers online. So do you.
   
   This singular point may be the most important of all, because if you can show them how to find answers on their own, you may never be called in for help again. Here's a quick example: I taught my sister how to find appropriate applications, and which work best for what, and how to find which work best for what. That was over two years ago. She hasn't come back to me for help with opening files since...and this is someone who checks their email weekly.
   
   (And if you're asking how to find answers, just type the question in Google. That works almost every time.)
   
4. Be prepared to give up extra cables and other cheap parts. Doing free tech support - especially for family - can be surprisingly costly. When a computer needs to be replaced, or singular components, then the culprit should pay. But if they broke a USB cable and didn't realize it, or can't remember how to plug a camera into the TV to share pictures and lost the Component cables, you're not going to charge them for it. If you're like me, you keep cables for when you need them, and that time always comes around. What better way than to give them to the needy!
   
   Not only cables, but cheap components too. SD cards, thumbdrives, power cords, mice, keyboards, and sometimes even old but functional components like hard drives. These are all things we tend to throw away, only to look for when we really need them. How many iPhone cables have you owned? How many memory cards? Instead of dumping these old-but-still-working parts, stuff them away in a cupboard somewhere for the day that they're needed. Because when someone needs help, the one thing you don't want to do is to be guilted into giving them your own things.
   
   I have an elegant solution: buy a small drawer cart and organize the various cables and components by composition. My system employs a 5-drawer cart with the following setup, top to bottom: USB cables, media center cables (like RCA, HDMI, audio cables, etc.), computer cables (DVI, VGA, other), power and ethernet cables, and components. Whenever an extra cable or part comes my way that I don't use, it goes in the corresponding drawer until the day it's needed.
   
   Whatever solution you use, the point is simple: if the part is cheap, there's no reason to drive down to Radioshack in a rush and pay 10x the actual cost or buy it online and wait a few days for shipping. Have spares, and if you don't have an extra, call up a buddy who might.

Op-Ed: Media centers are today's fireplace

I rarely watch TV anymore, at least not on my television set. I have a Vizio VX32L, which four years ago was considered the best low-end 32" TV for the price of $600. Mine only cost $450 with shipping. I threw down another $150 for a surround sound system from Spherex (now discontinued). From that couch, I've sat and watched TV from my Verizon cable box, which sits beside an Xbox 360, Apple TV and a test desktop I sometimes use for side projects.

Mr. Case, who I admire because of his extraordinary expertise with all things tech, has a slightly better setup. I feel exactly as he does. My old Vizio needs a reboot to something bigger and with more ports to work with my OnLive microconsole, Logitech Revue and PS3. A new set of speakers can move in, preferably wireless ones, because far too many guests and family members have tripped over the cables. A new TV stand, or perhaps a wall-mount would do some good as well. Heck, the whole room should really be redone to optimize the family viewing experience.

In the non-TV movement - where we all slowly move to watching our favorite shows away from a set time on the old-fashioned box, and instead watch it whenever we want online, streaming to our computers, phones or tablets - his purchase of a new 30" monitor (a badass display at that) is absolutely fine. An old TV doesn't necessarily need to be replaced. But it shouldn't be forgotten, or left alone simply because nobody is watching it right this second.

Growing up, I remember enjoying shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Transformers, Scooby-Doo and others as a family. Sometimes I watched alone, and sometimes with friends, but there were always times when the family would huddle around the glowing box and be enthralled by a movie, or spend a lazy Sunday night curled up on the couch enjoying the newest episode of NewsRadio, or even watching the game during a barbecue. These are activities we could only do with a TV.

I agree wholeheartedly, I don't want my family watching any more TV than need be. At the same time, I recognize that over the past 60 years the television set has taken over the role of family storyteller. No longer do we sit around a fireplace telling stories. And I'm content with that. So long as I decide on what's a good story to watch, and for my family to see, why not have a more entertaining, more visually stunning and pleasing method? People get paid handsomely well to write stories just for this purpose, better than we can hope to for our children.

Would I buy a new TV? Yes, once the need arises. At this point, the 32" screen works just fine, though I recently replaced one TV in the house because the display lost it's ability to produce colors. I fantasize about buying a new TV like I do buying a new computer; I don't need it, but have that human want for the latest and greatest. And when that need pops up, I will put down for a bigger, better screen.

I rarely watch TV these days. Most of what I watch is on online. When I do use my TV, it's with the family. We share that time and enjoy it, even if at times it's something completely mind-numbing. Because in the end, I want those family moments to be the best experiences they can be.

5 gaming accessories to go pro

That day job you have is a joke, and you know it. All those hours playing videogames are finally paying off. Every new game you get, you're hitting the top of the leaderboards without breaking a sweat. And now it's time to step up your game and go pro.

Don't expect to do it with your current gear. Here's five accessories to make you faster, stronger, and better.

Astro A40 

Astro Gaming's acclaimed gaming headset isn't famous among pro gamers because it's pretty (and yes, it really is). Not only is the A40 the official headset of Major League Gaming, this wireless set offers some of the best audio you can find on any gaming headset today. Large and comfortable, the A40's work on all consoles and PCs without drowning your rig with cables and clutter. It's wireless, and with the MixAmp 5.8 accessory the audiophile-quality stereo jumps up to 7.1 surround. Such a serious piece of audio equipment doesn't come cheaply, but the guarantee of excellent sound to hear that guy sneak up behind you is priceless. For $280.

Steelseries 7G

There is no such thing as too fast in gaming, so even a millisecond of latency is too slow. That's why the keyboard you use has to avoid USB altogether and stick with the old PS/2 connector, which provides zero-latency keypresses and eliminates ghosting. Steelseries combines the importance of these two features with old-fashioned mechanical keys, gold connectors to improve speed by nanoseconds and prevent corroding, which will also keep the 7G running for five times as long as your typical keyboard. So long as you can stand the clackety-clack of the loud mechanical keys, there's no other keyboard with the longevity, speed and expert touch as the 7G. A fairly priced $150.

Logitech G500

Just like the keyboard, mice have to be wired. Using the same famed design as the G5, the G500 is Logitech's newest wired mouse and doesn't fail to please. Supremely solid, quick as lighting and super comfortable, the G500 is also customizable with weights, speed settings and macro button control. The frictionless scroll wheel is an absolute blast, and with all customizations saved directly on the mouse you don't even need to play on your own rig to keep your settings. Not only is it agile in the hand, it's also light on the wallet at $70.

Razer Onza Tournament Edition

Not all pros stick to PC gaming, and big-time competitions on the Xbox 360 are pretty big these days. So if you want to be at the top of your game, you're going to need something better than Microsoft's standard controller. That's where the Onza comes in, with an enhanced D-Pad, wired connection for minimal latency, adjustable analog sticks, mouse-like low-profile face buttons, and two programmable shoulder buttons. The Tournament Edition model ups the ante with backlight face buttons and a quick-release USB, and the best part is that these controllers kick ass for just $50.

Viewsonic VX2739WM 

A real hardcore gamer may want an old CRT for gaming, because CRT's offer zero-latency visuals, but nobody really makes CRT monitors anymore. They're old, outdated, and while oddly superior in this one way, in no way are comparable to today's top-of-the-line displays. That said, Dell's Ultrasharp U3011 is a beast: 27" screen, 1ms response time, 1200:1 contrast ratio, and it's only 20lbs to boot. With HDMI and DVI ports, you can plug your computer and game console into this bad boy at the same time, and all without breaking bank. Just $329.

Scientists keep antimatter for over 16 minutes, soon we'll watch it fall up

Does antimatter fall up or down? Just how anti is it? Because heck, we don't have any of the stuff ourselves, and even if we did, not like you just take a handful and drop it. The second it touches anything, boom.

Now, the fun guys at CERN have figured out how to keep antihydrogen (that is, hydrogen of the anti-kind) on ice for 16 minutes and 40 seconds (1000 seconds), which is more than enough time to see if it falls up, down, or in any other funky direction.

Honestly I don't see how antimatter can fall up. If it did, any universe made of antimatter would need to have planets the inverse of spheres...and just thinking about that gives me a headache. What are your thoughts?

(Technology Review via Cornell)